Combination of paddle and flare-gun



Feb, 6, 1968 E. POWERS COMBINATION OF PADDLE AND FLARE GUN Filed Jan. 10, 1967 INVENTOR LARRY E. POWERS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,367,052 COMBINATIQN 01F PADDLE AND FLARE-GUN Larry E. Powers, 8 2-01 Latty Ava, Hazelwood, Mo. 63042 Filed Jan. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 608,380 2 Claims. (Cl. 42-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention consists of a hollow metal boat paddle which can be dismantled so that it serves as an emergency gun, either to fire flares or shotgun charges.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a boat or canoe paddle or oar which will be made of hollow metal, so that it will be extremely strong and lightweight.

Another object is to provide such a paddle with a capability of use as a flare gun or a shotgun, in case of emergency situations.

Many campers or picnickers, hunters or outdoorsmen, in fact members of the armed services, become lost or stranded; others have bad falls, hunting accidents or any one of a great many undesirable situations may arise in deserted areas in which the person involved may have great need of a flare gun or a shotgun. It is my purpose to provide the solution to such a need. Therefore, I have designed a single-shot gun which is adapted to emergency uses and which is simple and cheap to manufacture.

The principal problem is that the flare gun must not be able to be fired except when that firing is intentional and deliberate. The problem of safety in hunting accessories and equipment is a very serious consideration.

With my invention it is impossible to fire the flare unintentionally. At all times the flare cartridge is maintained locked in a safe position. Furthermore, the hammer of the flare gun is inaccessible under ordinary usage. It is only when the flare gun is diassembled that it can be used. In other words, the design of the flare gun is such that the only way to get to the mechanism which actuates the gun is to take apart the entire mechanism.

These and other objects and purposes will become obvious to those familiar with the art, from a study of the attached specification and drawings, in which The figure represents an exploded view, partly in crosssection of the principal portions of my invention.

In the figure, the paddle end of the oar or paddle is represented by the numeral 1. The handle end of the paddle is represented by the number 2. Both are hollow and made of metal. A number of different alloys are acceptable, as is well known to the art, so long as the combination of light weight with strength is maintained.

The handle 2 is provided with a long bore shown at 3. Inside the bore 3 is slipped the cartridge 4, which is a flare cartridge. The flare cartridge 4- is provided with a base or collar 5, which is larger than that diameter of bore 3. So that the shell of the cartridge which is attached to the base 5 will be held back upon firing.

The handle 2 is also provided with a set of male threads 6, which mate with the female threads 7 of the frame 8. The frame 8 is so named as it carries the firing pin 9. The firing pin is disposed in a bore in the frame 8, as

will be apparent from the figure. The firing pin is provided with a protuberance it} on its formed face; and is provided with an extended font at its rearward end.

The frame 8 is also provided with a set of male threads 11, which mate with the female threads 12 of the paddle 1. The paddle is also hollow.

It will therefore consequently be apparent that when the frame 8 is attached to the paddle 1, by threading the male threads 11 into the female threads 12, and screwing the threads in all the way, the foot 13 will project into the paddle 1.

At the same time, when the handle 2 is threaded entirely onto the frame 8, the base or collar 5 of the flare cartridge 4 will be trapped within the frame 8 by the larger size of its diameter than the diameter of the bore 3 of the handle 2. This is the condition which results when the male threads 6 of the handle are screwed all the way in to the female threads 7 of the frame :8.

When all these threads are fully mated the outer surface of the handle is smooth, so that the oar can be used without irritating or scratching the hands.

However in case of need for the firing of the flare cartridge 4, the following is the procedure. The paddle 1 is simply unscrewed from the frame 8. In this condition the foot 13 projects from the frame and the frame and the handle are essentially a gun, a flare gun.

Then the party operating the flare gun merely chooses a rock or a piece of metal such as an axe blade and places it on the ground. Then, taking care to point the other and open end of the handle 2 in the upward direction toward the sky, and taking care not to interpose any portion of his body or head near the open end, the party simply brings the assembly down sharply. Thus the foot 8 strikes the rock or metal and drives the foot 8 upward.

This action drives the firing pin 9 upward and the pin 9 assumes the position 9, While the protuberance 10 goes to 10', at which position it strikes the center of the flare cartridge 4 and fires said cartridge. The cartridge explodes and fires the flare out the open end of the handle 2 into the sky where it may be noticed.

Additional cartridges may be carried by the camper or outdoorsman or member of the armed services in a pocket or some other watertight position.

What I claim is:

1. A combination paddle and flare gun consisting of a hollow metal paddle;

a hollow metal handle;

a frame member threadably mounted between said paddle and said handle;

a slidable actuatable firing pin mounted in said frame member, in a mounted relationship covered by said paddle;

a flare cartridge disposed in said hollow handle between said handle and said frame member.

2. The device as described in claim 1 and further characterized by the firing pin and flare cartridge being actuatable by removal of the paddle from its covering relationship with respect to the firing pin.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

